She Saved Him
by thisdarkpassenger
Summary: "She had always been the light to his darkness. Somehow managing to keep a vicious monster inside him in check, even when she had been human. She was what kept Stefan grounded and she challenged him to fight to be something more then that monster that gives into the blood"-Damon Salvatore. Stefan/OC. season 5 au. Full summary inside. T to be safe
1. Prolouge

**title** : She Saved Him  
 **fandom** : vampire diaries  
 **genre** : angst/romance  
 **ship** : stefan/oc ,one sided stefan/caroline  
 **rating** : high-teen possibly m  
 **word count** : 5,043  
 **full summary** : "She had always been the light to his darkness. Somehow managing to keep a vicious monster inside him in check, even when she had been human. She was what kept Stefan grounded and she challenged him to fight to be something more then that monster that gives into the blood"-Damon Salvatore.

When Stefan dies, Caroline is confronted by her feelings for him and struggles with how to deal with them and come to terms with them, whilst trying to find a way to bring Stefan back, she can only hope he feels the same way. After he dies Stefan hopes that they can kill many birds with one stone. They can bring Enzo back. Alaric. Luke. But what he really hopes is to get his girl back. The girl that had come along with her deep brown eyes and her gorgeous smile and changed everything. season 5 au. Stefan/OC

 _AN: Juliet is played by a brunette Aimee Teegarden.I'm testing this out if no one likes it. I will continue_

 _(Flashback scenes in Italics) starts 5x11. Damon explains why Stefan can't be with Katherine. Then flashes forward_

 _Preface_

"Her name was Juliet. Juliet Fairchild. In case you were wondering" Damon said to Katherine

"I don't understand." the words slip out of her mouth without even trying

"When Stefan and I were reunited in a place where we were tortured by witches and curious doctors, tortured for amusement and punishment. It also helps that he was a doppelganger. And in 1947 Juliet showed up."

 _"Welcome." Damon heard a familiar voice from the cell next to him. "These witches and doctors never get tired of watching us heal, but they give us just enough blood to keep us alive. Pick yourself up." The man said and crawled toward the bared window between cells. He held out his hand in greeting. "Hello brother. It's nice to_

 _see you again."_

Damon looked Katherine in the eye. "Like Enzo, He was a soldier in Europe during World War II."

"How did he end up there?" Katherine asked

"Some witches were working in a battlefield hospital when they discovered Stefan the vampire doppelgänger, so they did some spell to put us to sleep, locked us up and shipped us to their coven in Louisiana. He'd been here for 5 years by the time I joined…"

 _"You're living for the moment. You need to live for the future."_

 _"The future? You're kidding what future?" Damon asked._

 _"The one where you get you escape, maybe even get revenge." Stefan explained. "Go on. Picture your revenge. Use your imagination."_

 _"I can see it." Damon says and starts to carve on the wall with a rock._

 _"You've never been much of a sports fan, huh Brother?" Stefan asked standing at the bars in his cell. When Damon didn't answer, he continued. " Neither am I. Do you have other interests – fine wines, travels, cars? I'm partial to convertibles, or at least the kind you take to impress a pretty girl. You've done that right ?"_

 _"Once or twice." Damon pushed himself to speak._

 _"Well, it was Katherine" Damon groaned in pain, "a horse and carriage type girl."_

 _"What, just one girl? Haven't you met others?" Stefan asked._

 _"Never met another one like her."_

 _"Well, fair enough." Stefan conceded._

 _"What about you? Any pretty girls?" Damon asked back._

 _"A few. But I've never met that special someone. The one you'd do anything for. The one you'd die for. The epic love." Stefan explained._

 _"What about your.. other family? Are they still running around?" Damon asked_

 _"You bet."_

"You said 'at first.'" Katherine told Damon. "What changed?"

"It was a year after I had been in there. I had been scared: I didn't know what to expect, what would happen to me, if I was ever gonna get out. Stefan didn't tell me anything. He just said 'boy are you in for it'. Every thing changed that day…"

 _It had been a day or two since Stefan and Damon had been experimented on. Someone still came in and shot them with vervain every once in a while to keep them weak, but it was a nice change, one that certainly wouldn't last too long, but still a change._

 _The two heard the door open and saw a witch dragging someone with long, brown hair towards the cells. A girl?_

 _There had only been two cells in the basement, so Dr. Robinson opened Stefan's cell and tossed her in carelessly then he closed the cell. She had landed in perfect view of the barred window from Damon's cell and Stefan just watched on confused._

 _Her hair was covering her face until her head rolled to the side towards Damon's cell. What he saw shocked him to his core._

 _Stefan had not been able to look away from the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. He didn't mention this to Damon but she lived in Mystic Falls when Damon and him were human. he was obvio_

 _"See if you can wake her up." Damon said to Stefan trying to think of a way to wake her up._

 _Stefan moved toward Juliet carefully. He moved a few strands of hair away from her face before gently grabbing her face and turning it towards him. He couldn't get over how beautiful she was and she hadn't even opened her eyes yet._

 _"Hey. Sweetheart. Come on wake up." Stefan said a couple times. He could tell from how easy her head turned that her neck had been broken, but knew she would wake up soon. Damon just continued to sit there and watch her._

 _Juliet sat up quickly, gasping for air, and slightly scaring the other two vampires. Juliet looked around frantically and noticed she was in a cement and barred cell. Freaking out, not knowing where she was, she started ramming her body towards the bars and walls trying to break out. It didn't last long though because she was still weak from being injected with vervain._

 _She noticed another presence in the cell and froze. She turned to look at the attractive man in the cell with fear._

 _Before Stefan had a chance to Damon spoke_

 _"You've been captured by a coven of witches. It's a curious group of doctors and witches, even travelers who… experiment… on vampires trying to figure out what makes them tick."_

 _"Experiment? You mean like…" Juliet trailed off too frightened to even say the word._

 _"Yeah." Damon said and looked down._

 _"She is smart."Stefan said drawing Juliet's attention back to him._

 _" let me reintroduce myself. Stefan And this is My brother. Damon." He said and kissed the back of Juliet's hand. "I'd say it's a pleasure to meet you. But under the given circumstances, I really wish I didn't."_

 _"So what happens now?" Juliet asked after she had calmed down a bit, but not much. Stefan and Damon tried to explain as much as possible, but she wouldn't really know until she was taken for 'experimenting.'_

 _"Well sweetheart, unfortunately, now you get to spend who knows how long in this cell." Stefan said to her. He couldn't take his gaze away from her. He thought she was beautiful with her eyes closed, but now that she was looking at him, he could see her magnificent eyes and she instantly became gorgeous. He could barely imagine what a smile from her would do._

 _"Hey Juliet, look at me." Damon said drawing her attention away from Stefan. She couldn't help but notice how attractive he was. He had golden wheat hair, a nice chiseled jaw, and emerald_ _eyes that_ _showed hints of gold flecks_ _in the light._

 _The three vampires turned their head towards the sound of the door of the basement opening._

 _"Alright. You are a special treat to our organization. The first ever female vampire. It's going to be wonderful to figure out the differences in molecular biology and in witchcraft. Come on. It's time for your first session." Doctor Robinson said opening the cell door with a twisted smile on his face._

 _"Wait, please don't do this. Just let her go." Damon begged._

 _"Oh, I can't do that." He said and gestured Juliet with his head to walk out the cell._

 _"Oh come on. I've always had a bit of a feminine side. Use me. What difference could it be?" Stefan tried to keep the from taking her. Juliet whipped her head to the side, surprised that the strangers were trying to take her torture for himself._

 _"No. Now come on." The Doctor said starting to get frustrated._

 _Juliet started walked out of the cell knowing there was no way out of this. But before she left, she cast a thankful look to the Salvatores for their attempt at saving her. She couldn't believe they would do that for her._

 _The two vampires were forced to listen for hours to Juliet's constant screams._

 _Both vampires' head's perked up when the screams finally stopped and the basement door opened. The Dr. dragged an unconscious Juliet back to her cell and threw her in._

 _Stefan crawled over to her to assess the damage. Blood was staining her shirt over her torso and there was more blood running down the side of her neck._

 _"How is she?" Damon asked from his cell._

 _Stefan just looked over at Damon and the two shared a look. They both knew that whenever they were 'studied' it was never simply mild._

 _Stefan lifted Juliet's head and cradled it in his lap, hoping that the gesture would give her even the smallest form of comfort._

 _Damon watched on from his cell. He had noticed the looks the two were sending each other before she was taken. He noticed when Stefan had tried to take Juliet's treatment for himself like he had done for Damon on a few occasions. He even noticed the tears that had leaked down his face when they first heard her cries._

"Juliet had suffered the most during our times with the coven. Whereas they had a choice between me and Stefan, Juliet was their only option for female studies." Damon explained.

"Wait, is that why Stefan would stare off into space when he was here? Is that what his breakdown was about before he left?" Katherine asked.

"Well, that was part of the reason…"

 _Damon was pretending to be asleep in his cell while Juliet and Stefan had one of their first conversations._

 _"So, Stefan, tell me about yourself. Talking can help pass the time." Juliet asked Stefan, sitting against one wall of the cell. It had been a few weeks since Juliet had been there and the two hadn't really talked much._

 _"Not much to tell really." Stefan said sitting against the opposite wall._

 _"Well tell me about your life. What have you been up to? Where have you been?" Juliet asked trying to get him to tell her about himself._

 _"Oh here and there. I was usually on my own, but every year or two I'd hunt down damon my... brother? Foster Brother?.. and blood sister and see what they were up to. This Katherine girl turned everything upside down."" Stefan said bitterly._

 _"I sense some hostility." Juliet commented._

 _"Oh you have no idea. If the bitch hadn't died the night the council rounded up the vampires, I would have killed her myself." Stefan said remembering the suffering Katherine put his family through._

 _"You hated her that much?" Juliet asked._

 _"She destroyed my family. We were happy. I mean we had problems you know, what family doesn't? But we were together and she tore it apart. Specifically Damon and I, we were like ...a tag team. Until Katherine showed up and turned us against each other.."_

 _"What about you? " Stefan asked her curiously._

 _"I was engaged to be married." Juliet stated._

 _"Really?" Stefan asked surprised_

 _"Yep. I was set to be married to the son of the richest man ." Juliet explained._

 _"What do you mean 'set to be?' Did you not approve of this courtship?"Stefan asked._

 _"Hell no."_

 _"So you didn't love him?" Stefan asked even more curious about her past relationship._

 _"Oh no. My marriage was arranged. While my father made good money and was one of the leaders of the town, he was still a very greedy man and tried to get his paws on every cent he could. After all I didn't think there was anything more for me. I was a small town girl, with a small town life, and a small town future. My dream back then was to get away from there: away from father's control, away from the marriage agreement. I wanted someone who loved me for me, not because they had to or agreed to. I wanted a love so... strong and sure I could be myself around them. I didn't want to have to sensor my thoughts and feelings because it was what a 'proper gentlemen' would do. I wanted something more, something bigger than what I had. I wanted a life of my own, where the decisions weren't made for me. Who knew it would take dying to achieve that?" Juliet joked._

 _Stefan couldn't help but admire the woman before him. She wanted better things for herself. She knew what she wanted, but wasn't able to fight for it. Back then, women's lives were basically chosen for them, but she wanted away from that. She wanted to see the world, discover new things… she wanted to live. Stefan found himself wanting to show her what she had been missing._

 _"Did you ever find it?" Stefan asked her._

 _"Find what?" Juliet asked coming out of her train of thought._

 _"Did you ever find what you were looking for? Did you ever find the life you wanted? Did you ever find love?" Stefan asked hoping she would tell him she found all that she was looking for and she was happy all these years._

 _"I did find the life I wanted. I was finally in control of my decisions. No one chose what I did, or where I went next. I was finally my own person, out from underneath my parents rule. But I never found love. There was never that one special person. The one I'd do anything for. The one I'd die for. I never found my epic love." Juliet said to him._

 _Stefan realized she had basically repeated what he said and wanted word for word. He wanted that special someone he'd do anything for and in turn who would do anything for him. He wanted his epic love. He couldn't help the feeling of hope in his chest that maybe, just maybe, she could be that special person._

 _"What about you? Is there a special someone waiting for you to come back?" Juliet asked Stefan._

 _"I'm still looking." Stefan said staring into her eyes._

 _Whether they knew it or not, Stefan and Juliet had a connection. They were two souls and personalities that fit together like puzzle pieces._

 _It had been a year since Juliet had been brought in. She and Damon were close friends, he was like a second brother, sharing in their experience of torment. And she and Stefan grew closer every day._

 _There was one particular day that stood out from all the others. One of the best days they could have while in captivity._

 _Juliet had just been brought back from being 'studied' and today was brutal. She had bruises and cuts all over her torso and arms. It looked like a few ribs were broken or possible even removed. Blood was trailing down her face from where her eyes had healed over. It was the worst state she'd been in since arriving._

 _She was tossed back into her cell and Stefan was by her side immediately. This time she was still conscious, which was rare. She was usually knocked out from the pain or the vervain they injected her with._

 _"Juliet?" Damon asked from his cell seeing her battered state._

 _"Hey, sweetheart, come on talk to me." Stefan encouraged. Her head kept falling to the side, too weak to keep it in one place._

 _"I can't." Juliet muttered, barely audible to the two vampires._

 _"You can't what?" Damon asked but she didn't answer._

 _"You have to talk to me beautiful…" Stefan said, his worry growing even further when she was unresponsive._

 _"I can't anymore…" Juliet trailed off._

 _Damon sat back and watched as his brother comforted his friend._

 _"Hey, listen to me." Stefan said and looked her in the eye. "You have to fight this. There's so much left you haven't seen. Fight for Damon, for your brother Ivan, for the life you've always wanted… you can't leave me." Stefan whispered the last part under his breath. He of all people knew what the coven were capable of doing. They took vampires and broke them down until there was nothing left. But he refused to let them tear her down. The world would be lost without a soul like hers… he would be lost._

 _"It won't go away." Juliet said still barely conscious. "The pain won't go away."_

 _Stefan's face scrunched up in pain at hearing her voice. It held so much fear and agony it could bring a grown man to his knees._

 _"I can't take the pain away Juliet… but I can try and take your mind off it." Stefan said trying to get her attention._

 _At the thought of forgetting the pain, she focused on Stefan the best she could and asked, "How?"_

 _Stefan didn't answer. Instead he slowly lowered his head down to hers and placed a small kiss on her lips not sure of how she would respond. When she didn't object, he did it again, and again, each kiss gaining more confidence than the last. Then she started kissing back and it was the most incredible feeling he'd ever felt in his existence._

 _Juliet used all her strength to bring her hand up to his cheek. When her body couldn't stay awake any longer she broke away, but before she lost consciousness she said, "I like that distraction." And for the first time since she'd been there, she had a deep, dreamless sleep._

 _Stefan smiled and stared at the brunette beauty before him, still shocked at what just happened. He couldn't believe he did that. He didn't know what her reaction would be, but he couldn't be happier that she responded the way she did. Maybe she felt for him what he felt for her._

 _Stefan completely forgot of the other presence that saw everything that just happened: not only a presence, but Juliet's close protective friend._

 _Stefan glanced shyly over to Damon, unaware of how he was going to react to him kissing her. But when he finally met Damon's gaze he was shocked at what he saw._

 _Damon sat there, arm propped up on his knee, and a smirk on his face. What?_

 _"I knew it." Damon said._

 _"Knew what?" Stefan asked surprised and confused at Damon's reaction. He figured Damon would yell at him, to leave her alone, that she deserved better than some tortured-hostage, which she did in his opinion but he couldn't help his feelings for her._

 _"I knew you liked her." Damon said. Stefan looked away from him, hoping to hide the emotions running across his face. What Damon saw made the smirk drop from his face. "You love her don't you?"_

 _"I can't help it." Stefan said not tearing his gaze away from Juliet's finally peaceful face. "She's beautiful, optimistic, strong. She's a caring and compassionate person, but at the same time she embraces who she is as a vampire and she won't settle for less than what she wants and deserves. She's… perfect. Yes, I love . Even after 1864"_

"He fell in love with her?" Katherine asked surprised.

"And she fell in love with him, too, a little later." Damon said remembering Stefan's first real love..

"I gave them my blessing. They were perfect for each other. If you saw them together you would understand. It was like they were made for each other. Stefan searched her whole life for that someone, it's just shame he had to find it captivity with no freedom. It was the worst, but best situation I think they could have been in. He held her and comforted her after her 'study' sessions, she made him smile after his. She would always sing and hum this song his mother sang to him when he was little. They gave each other hope that one day they would be able to be together. Seeing Stefan find love was what made me hold on to my humanity. It pushed me to get her out of there so he could finally be happy with the love of his life." Damon explained.

"Yeah, but you did escape. How did you do it?"Katherine asked.

"But you have to know Stefan didn't get out til' 1969. I got out in 51'. I just woke up in the middle of nowhere.."

"They let us out of the basement once a year. Every New Year's Eve, the Coven and Doctors had a celebration with a vampire witch buffet. They kept us in cages, just like in the Augustine. That was the one time a year I was able to hug Stefan, I guess they were feeling generous. They put Stefan and I in a cage together. We were weak from vervain injections, half-starved from living on a half glass of blood a day, chained up and caged like animals. This little annual shindig is where Dr. Robinson got to show all of his doctor friends what he'd found in his research. He let his guests drink from us to demonstrate the healing power of vampire blood. But on the plus side, that's how I stole Enzo's plan"

 _Juliet was asleep with her head in Stefan's lap and he was running his fingers through her hair. It seemed like every time they turned around she was either coming or going for experiments. Stefan sat with his back to the wall next to the window to Damon's cell with Damon matching his position on the other side._

 _Stefan held up his glass of blood with his other hand. "I have A plan" Damon said"_

 _"I'm listening"_

 _Well, the thing about our daily dose of blood is that it's barely enough to survive on, but if one vampire were to drink two every day for the next year, he'd be able to build up his strength so that by the time New Year's Eve comes round again, that one vampire will be ready to fight."_

 _"Are you sure that will work?" Stefan asked._

 _"I'm sure I can only try with your help. We've just got to choose between us." Damon explained. Juliet already had more blood than they had daily. That's only because she went through twice the torment and her body would desiccate without it._

 _Stefan agreed and the two set down their glasses of blood. "Alright, Damon. We're gonna play scissor, paper, stone to decide."_

 _They tied the first two rounds until Damon won. "Paper covers rock."_

 _"Alright." Stefan conceded. "A win's a win. You'll lead the way. Here's my ration. Now we've got 364 days to get you ready for the party. Cheers." Stefan passed his glass to Damon._

 _"Cheers."_

"So, did it work?" Katherine asked.

"More or less."

"How did you get out?"

"It doesn't matter, Katherine. It wasn't pretty. All you need to know." Damon said blowing off the subject. She didn't need to know.

"Alright." Damon agreed. "Alright, the next party was in 1969. I'd been drinking Stefan's doses for an entire year. I mean, he kept a few drops here and there and Juliet made him drink some of hers every now and then so he wouldn't desiccate, and as he starved himself, I got stronger from all the extra blood just like he said I would. The weird thing is there were no witches at this party."

 _Juliet was in one cage while Damon and Stefan were in the other right beside it. Damon had a look of determination on his face. The three shared looks between each other in anticipation._

 _"Ladies and gentlemen," Dr. Robinson said walking towards the cages. "As it is almost midnight, I think it fitting that we toast the New Year with a glass of vampire blood, wouldn't you agree? And let's add to that, not only will we toast vampire blood, a few of you will have the treat of toasting the blood of the first female vampire the organization and coven has had." He said gloating. He opened Damon and Stefan's cage allowing the two to step out._

 _While Dr. Robinson was closing the cage, Damon forced one of his hands through his cuffs, breaking the bones in his hand to get it off. The doctors look at him and notices his hand free. Damon holds up his hand to allow Dr. Robinson to see the bones healing with a threatening look in his eye, all the while Juliet and Stefan watched on smirking._

 _"Now you see it..."" Damon said before shoving his thumbs into the Dr.'s eye sockets._

 _Stefan broke his cuffs apart and started attacking those nearby as Damon sunk his fangs into Dr. Robinson's neck. The two were too busy destroying and killing they didn't notice a fire had started._

 _After Stefan had killed a few people she noticed the fire. He ran to Juliet's cage with and the two smiled at each other, finally about to have their freedom. Stefan grabbed the key that was used to open their cage and put it in the lock on Juliet's cage, however, the fate defying 'click' of the lock they were expecting to hear never happened._

 _"It's a different key." Stefan said under his breath. "Damon!" he yelled back toward his brother._

 _Damon heard Stefan yell for him and raced toward him._

 _"It's a different key, it won't open." Stefan said._

 _The three of them frantically pulled on the bars, only they were covered in vervain and they couldn't hold on long enough. They tried and tried, but no matter what they did the bars wouldn't give._

 _Damon noticed the fire spreading. Juliet and Stefan never stopped trying to open the bars but Damon knew it was no use._

"Juliet trusted me with her life. The fire was getting out of control. Stefan and I would have burned up, or they would have captured us again. There's no way I would have ever gotten the chance to get Stefan out of there. There was no way for us to escape again." Damon said sadly.

"Stefan was getting weaker by the second. So I chose to save my brother."

 _Damon gave up trying to open the bars, there was too much vervain, the fire was getting out of control... they were out of time._

 _Damon backed away from the cage shaking his head in defeat. He looked back towards his Brother and Stefan._

 _"Damon? What are you doing, we have to get her out of here!" Stefan said wondering why his brother wasn't helping._

 _"Damon." Juliet said worried at what Damon was thinking._

 _"I'm sorry Jules." Damon said sadly._

 _"Damon, please." Juliet begged, her voice cracking_

 _"Damon, we can't just leave her here." Stefan told him, the brim of his eyes filling with tears._

"I knew if I was going to save myself and my brother that I had to stop caring. Like with Enzo. And there was no way Stefan was going to leave her. Like Charlie He was going to die trying. So I snapped his neck, and I turned off my emotions."

 _"Stefan, I'm sorry." Damon said. Before anyone could blink Damon snapped Stefan's neck._

 _"Damon! What are you doing? Please you can't leave!" Juliet begged._

 _Damon shut his eyes, flipped the switch, and suddenly he just didn't care._

 _He looked down towards his Brother, threw her over his shoulder, and left without a second thought, all while Juliet begged him not to walk away and leave her there._

 _Funny. He thought. History does tend to repeat itself._

"And Stefan Forgave you?" Katherine asked

"I honestly don't know and to be honest... I'm terrified of the answer. If it was no then I was apart of something that robbed something very precious from my him. Juliet had always been the light to Stefan's darkness. Somehow managing to keep a vicious monster inside him in check, even when she had been human. Juliet was what kept Stefan grounded and she challenged him to fight to be something more then that monster that gives into the blood. And then flash to where Stefan lost that girl who saved him every day they were together. Then he found out what happened. That the special girl who had meant so much to him was now.. gone."

end of chapter (TBC possibly)

AN:

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I might continue this but who knows _I am just testing it out_.. if you find any spelling mistakes please let me know. especially with this crappy keyboard


	2. Chapter 2

Damon's gaze is deliberate as it meets his, icy blue eyes willing him to remember himself—a side of him he believes died when he lost _her_. Stefan' jaw clenches as he stares down his older brother, unwaveringly defiant against all that Damon's elixir suggestion is implying.

Damon swallows, and Stefan gives his shoulder a firm squeeze.

He blinks away the image of her ashen corpse in the corner of the Coven and trains his eyes on his brother, adamant that Damon understands what Stefan can't bring himself to say.

She's dead, and she may not be coming back.

He nods, and Stefan allows the corner of his lip to slightly pull upwards, believing he's learned his lesson—killing Enzo won't solve anything

"Yes, brother."

Stefan pats his shoulder and exits the study.

He makes sure that Damon or Caroline is not coming after him before making his way to pack, the travelers are hot on their heels. He retrieves his sketchbook from his dresser and thumbs through the pages until he reaches what he's aching to see.

 _Her_.

Even now, decadesafter their romance ended, he can still remember every curve of her face, every contour of her body, how she smelled, the way her fingers skimmed so easily across his skin in a way that never failed to make him smile.

He runs his fingers over the drawing, allowing himself to reminisce on memories that he'd kept buried underneath the deepest crevices of his mind with the intent to never revisit.

Now he understands that just because Caroline has the same olive skin and the same sultry smile as Ju—as _she_ did, it won't do anything for him. It won't bring her back, it won't make him _feel_ again. No, that was a privilege that only _she_ could claim.

He doesn't think twice before crumbling up the paper and tossing it into the fireplace. He watches the flames lick at the paper, disintegrating the portrait of a woman who defined who he was as a man, a woman he made sure didn't define who he was as a monster.

Stefan pulls at his hair; it's not like the flames will burn away the memory of her, or her kisses, or her touch, or her love—pure, genuine, untainted, just like his was towards her.

He closes his eyes tightly before he does something moronic like cry.

 _"What is gonna make you happy, Stef?" She would always say_

 _"We both know everything will be fine. In the end it always is."_

But everything is not fine, and it will never be fine again. he thought

His heart, not wanting to face the harsh reality of the situation, is still clinging on to a tiny ray of hope. That she'll walk through the door one day. With the same gorgeous smile and deep brown eyes. Her voice, taunting him, teasing, yet loving at the same time.

He walks to his closet and pulls out hidden suit case pulls out various items.

It was little things like this he did that were inconspicuous and helped him to mourn her privately. He couldn't tell anyone that he special ordered 100 boxes of a her perfume that was sold in the 50s and 60s then sprayed it every morning on his left hand so now whenever he lifted his hand to rub his forehead he would smell her perfume. lavander. He couldn't tell anyone that he woke up in the morning feeling so lost because he went to bed without hearing her voice or touching her skin or holding her in his arms even one time.

She had saved him so many times and she didn't even know it. And He saved her so many times he didn't know it either

 _"I'm not a hero, Jules," Stefan said holding Juliet's hand, his thumb circling her palm, tracing hearts._

 _"But you save people's lives. You've saved mine a couple of times," She said._

 _"Well, a couple of those times, And if I am one It's only because people expect it of me." He counters._

 _"Well, I disagree. is it so hard for you to admit that you're good? That you're a hero?" She trys to convince him._

 _"Well that's because when you do something good, people expect it of you. I hate it. everyday. And you know I'm not cut out to be a hero because I don't wanna be one. I like doing things on my own... terms. No expectations, no disappointments."_

 _"Wow… a hero with his own terms," She says "Well I think that those are the best kind."_

 _end of chapter_


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's note this isn't going to be a long story may be four to six chapters. THis originally started as a rewrite to another author's fanfic but turned in to something more. Als i have a bunch of upcoming stories in my bio. Vote in the review on which one you want me to publish first_

 _Chapter 3_

 _The first thing Caroline felt as he hit the ground was disbelief. There was no way that Stefan was dead, but his heart gripped in Julian's hand and the horrifying sight of Stefan crumbling to the ground as if it was swallowing him whole told her otherwise_

"There, dead doppelganger. Stops the spell" Julian hissed, before tossing Stefan's heart like a cumbled up ball of trash to the ground and walking away.

She felt everything from shock to grief, to desperation.

She knew she shouldn't have felt that way, and she didn't know why she did.

She felt the grief everywhere: coursing through her veins, filling her mind with swirling pools of greif. It was _everywhere_ as she ran her hands through stefan's hair, holding his head to her chest, was _unbearable_ , like her heart was the one that had been ripped from her chest rather Stefan.

"Somebody help me!" Caroline yelled out as loud as her voice could carry

"Please!" it came out barely above a whisper.

Now, guilt joined the mix of swirling emotions swirling in her stomach like an ocean current.

 _It wasn't supposed to be you._

 _It was never supposed to be you_

She's angry at herself.

There are tear stains on her skin. Slippery, white marks all over her blushing cheeks. Her eyes are big and puffy, storing more tears than anyone can imagine.

Her whole body is being shaken by sadness.

There's something different about people when they're sad. Some fucked up idea of beauty. It's inappropriate and inexplicable, but it's there. No one talks about it, but it's there.

The fact that people carry their souls on the palm of their hands when they're sad. It's like they cough it up and blow it in the air.

"My best friend died," she tears her look away as if it finally hits her

She's angry at herself.

She could have... wait **should** have tried _harder_ , **should** have been _quicker_ , but she had been **too slow** , _always_ too slow.

Something that could never ever be repaid.

She guessed part of her became accustomed to death and drowning, because she can feel herself sinking deeper into his lifeless eyes until he swallows her whole.

When she brushed the ground with her fingertips she felt like it's going to swallow her whole. Her fingers turning into dust when she pressed them onto the ground.

He was the only thing that could ever truly fix her. But he wasn't here anymore so he couldn't. And he may never be coming back.

She wanted to rip out Julian's heart, make him pay for taking away the best friend she loved away from her life just because he was a flipping doppelganger. Because he looked like somebody else. He had Silas' face. The grief bubbled through and the anger and deperation managed to break through to the surface.

It felt like it was destroying and melting away at her until there was nothing left.

She wished it would, so she wouldn't have to endure this crumbling greif anyways.

Fumbling for her phone with shaking fingers, Caroline dragged Stefan's body inside the dorm , lay him gently on the couch and, as quickly as her hands would let her, dialled Damon's number, all the while crying almost hysterically. She didn't know how she was going to tell him she hadn't managed to save his brother and now he was gone-dead.

Stefan was gone and he wasn't coming back. And that, was something Caroline Forbes didn't think she could live without. She couldn't even stand the thought.

She didn't know when or how it had happened, but life without Stefan had become life not worth living.

Not even a life at all.

It was just existing if anything

If Caroline Forbes learned anything over the past year, It is always better to be the one who dies, rather than the one who lives on.

And she couldn't agree more.

But she also knows that if anyone decides Caroline Forbes' fate it's her.

And she couldn't live without Stefan.

She was going to do something about it. She had it.

tbc.


	4. Chapter 4

author's note: so i try to update at least one story every weekend. And last week I updated Eternity Starts Now, so this week is She Saved Him. As requested i made this chapter longer. I'm trying to make them at least 1,000 words if not more

xx

Stefan Salvatore never thought he would see Juliet Fairchild. That was until he died.

xx

If there was one thing Damon knew in this moment as they stood around devising a paln to bring Stefan and Enzo back.

Caroline Forbes was in love with his brother.

he isn't surprised.

he rolled his eyes at the thought. She was going to end up heart broken and disappointed. **_what a surprise..._**

 _Stefan stroked Juliet's back gently, his hands moving up and down continuously as she pressed her face into the crook of his neck as if she believed that would be able to hide the frightened tears welling unbidden in her eyes. His face was buried into hair, but Damon could still see the words being formed in his whispers to her: "It's okay, it's okay, it's okay."_

 _Damon couldn't find it in himself to feel discomfort, because when their world that was barely even a whisper of what it once was they had still managed to find home and love with each other. Even if everything else they had ever cared about had disappeared._

xx

"Are we really going to do this?" She asked.

"If it means getting Stefan back then yes. We are" He replied, an eyebrow raised, daring her to challenge him.

"ok" she whispered nodding before turning around.

But he stopped her

"Caroline.. Are you-" he paused "Be honest... Are you in love with Stefan?"

her eyes told him all he needed to know. Actually he could se it from a mile away. All of the signs point to it.

from the jealousy at the cabin to the need to protect him. Even her reaction to his (hopefully) temporary death.

Gult. Remorse. Shame. Love? Compassion?

"I don't need to know. But... just don't get your hopes up. Stefan gave his heart away long before you or even Elena came in to the picture" Caroline furrowed her eye brows in confusion. _Is he trying to pull something?_

 _What does he gain by telling me this?_

He nodded and walked away before she could ask him about his motives.

xx

He sees her laying in the middle of town square. He laughs quietly because he knew she got what she always wanted; to be _free._

 _Even if it was on the other side_

he watches the way her pen moves across the pages of a leather bound journal, saying every word she writes out loud as if she wants someone to hear it.

And it's working

He could hear her reading her diary like she did every night

it will always be this way

Their eyes will always meet from across a room, any room. She could hide in the darkest part of the universe and he would still find her.

He had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't hallucinating

 _Deary Diary,_

 _it's was not fair because Stefan is real, he's real - and he has his faults, but he was there and he loves you still and he'd do **anything** to protect you, yet you couldn't let go of him. But now Stefan is all i want. All i need._

 _I had to watch him die today, i had to watch his heart get ripped out of his chest, his pale lifeless body sink to the ground._

 _And the worst part; I couldn't do anything about it._

 _It was if i was on the outside looking._

 _And I couldn't look away_

 _end._

"You wanna know what i would write?" Juliet blinks once then twice, she even pinches herself to make sure she's not dreaming: that the voice she hears does not belong to **him.**

 _I want her in more ways than one._

 _It was passionate. Passion is important. But at the same time, it wasn't exactly a tornado. It was calm and reassuring and loving. It gave me hope_

 _But In many ways I was wrong, so wrong._

 _My life is not a love triangle._

 _It never was_

 _I was never torn. My heart was never split in half. I was with Juliet, and then I was with Elena,and now Caroline is in love with me well that is judging by her reaction to my death and the jealousy at the cabin she is._

 _But through all of that, I never stopped loving her, I just loved Elena in a different way. I was just always going to be in love Juliet_

 _love is like being caught in a tornado._

 _You see the storm coming every time, but in the end you're never ready for the moment that the tornado picks you up off of your feet and carries you away._

 _First, you're really scared. No absolutely Terrified._

 _You've never really done this before._

 _Then, for a while, it's incredible._

 _You're flying. And you're blinded, but it's alright, because you're spiraling up and you have no control over your body. It's exhilarating._

 _But you know that it's dangerous… that it kills and causes pain. And eventually, you spin right out or it fades to nothing. And you're left with nothing but dama_ ge.

She watches and listens to him as he speaks. The way his lips move, the corner of his mouth curling into that crooked smile as if it was pulled upward by a single string.

Stefan's eyes widened as he took her in. She's really here "Juliet," He breathed.

We both pulled away, and we just drank in the sight of each other.

And that was all it took. It was all she needed to take off towards him

She finds herself compelled by him. She can't control herself as she finds herself Moving towards him as if she had all the time in the world yet gradually moving faster as he comes into full view.

Until she's full on running straight into his arms

Once she's in his arms he's crying in that quiet, desperate way she usually does, and he's doing his best to comfort her. He always knew how, without even trying. Iit always seemed like his arms are home to her - when she's there, she's at peace. You can see it in the way her face changes.

But that was okay, because Stefan was here and holding her in the exact same way, caressing her dark hair and to her hair

"I can't believe you're here right now." She whispers through her tears

 _tbc._

 _sorry for the delay school is kind of... well school_


	5. Chapter 5

author's note: i can't believe it's been more than two weeks since i last updated. Sorry for the delay, schools been kicking my ass. disclaimer, There will be only 1-3 updates left.

xx

"come back with me" he whispered in her ear. she furrowed her eyebrows, confused by his statement.

they pulled back from each other.

"Away from the other side. Let me take you back to the real world" He said through a staggered whisper.

"I'm not going to force you to come back with me. But at least think about it." he said

"Your world would be easier if i didn't come back" she whispered

"That's true. But it wouldn't be my world without you in it."He said

"years ago I've told you that I'm going to marry you so I can kiss you every time the urge overtakes me. I may have been a vampire but I've been a boy then, a reckless, inappropriate boy," he exhales " I've grown in many other ways. A lot of things have changed since I first met you. I know what I want from life, I'm working hard to achieve it, I'm ready for everything that such life entails. Some things, on the other hand, are still the same," he pulls sway and a soft smile appears on his lips. "I still want to marry you so I can kiss you whenever I want to."

xx

 _stefan's pov_

I can't shake this feeling off, feeling that something is missing.

Some part of me, as equally as essential as an arm or a leg. Or even a heart.

We were trying to go back to our lives as they were, but now I see that's impossible.

It's never going to be as it was before, and it's slowly sinking in to me.

All of this is for nothing. What we're doing now, it's completely pointless.

especially without her.

I forgot how much I love spending time with her and how many things we have in common. How many topics we can discuss because on most we feel the same and even when we don't, we respect each other enough to agree to disagree. I feel free to tell her everything without the fear of being judged by her, and I just know she feels the same.

We're on the same wave length.

and It's not weather I'm in love with her or not, or do I want her or not, it's about her and how every single part of me fits perfectly into her. How my sharp edges fall perfectly into her empty hollows.

I didn't quite realize how much I've missed her during these past few decades. Still, I feel like she was an essential part of me even whenshe wasn't there.

I listen to her as ehe talks.

Her words are sinking into my skin like the water from a melted ice cube.

 _end of stefan's pov_

xx

She knew what was going to happen. He told her that it would be okay if she didn't come back with him, that he would learn and try to live without her. Even if it was impossible for him.

She saw the witch Stefan mentioned. She was really going to do this

xx

please let it have worked. Let us just... be okay. for once

"Elena! Did it work? Are you-?"

"Yeah?"

"Okay. When you guys pass through me, you're going to wake up with your bodies on the other side. I need you to get back here as fast as you can." Bonnie said, reaching out to presumably Elena and Damon. She tensed in agony again. They must have it through.

"Tyler?" she asked hesitantly, Stefan's grey, dead body flashing across her mind once more.

"Yeah! It's me." Tyler smiled.

"Woah..." Tyler muttered,

"What's wrong?" she asked, worried. Was Julian still there?

"That felt different..."

"What do you mean?" she asked, both relieved and confused. This wasn't traveller issues.

Tyler picked up a sharp rock from the ground and sliced his hand with it. He didn't heal anymore.

"You're not healing..."

"I'm not a hybrid anymore." Tyler said, blinking in surprise.

They were both interrupted by Bonnie talking with someone. Turning around, Caroline saw Bonnie reach out to someone.

Suddenly, Stefan appeared, releasing Bonnie's arm. Caroline was about to run to him when she noticed his outfit. She was pretty sure Stefan hadn't been wearing a green jacket or brown boots when he died.

She was also sure that Bonnie was throwing him a look of extreme distaste and curiosity, something she wouldn't be doing, since Stefan hadn't done anything to her. It was when he walked over to a nearby tree, a few feet away from Caroline, she finally realised with a growing dread deep inside her gut who it was.

Tom Avery was back, alive and kicking.

"You killed me"

"Okay, I'm gonna ask what everyone must be thinking. What are you doing here?" asked Tyler pointing at him.

Tom just smirked at him.

"I'm Tom. and well, I am a witch and I helped teach the witch the spell that brought you all back to life."

Caroline had been wrong; there were a lot more surprises in store for her today.

"No, I think he means, why are you waiting here? Why don't you go, none of us matter to you." Caroline snapped. She was still upset over him not being Stefan. but she knew she had no right to be. She helped Enzo kill Tom.

Tom's smirk dropped from his face as he turned his attention to her. She swallowed anxiously. She should really learn to keep her mouth shut in front doppelgangers. Especially since she helped kill him

"I'm waiting for someone, like you," he replied guardedly, fixating his gaze on Bonnie

Suddenly, Alaric passed through and walked toward her and Tyler, smiling. He must be waiting for Damon.

Bonnie had started talking again. "Sorry, Elena, but," she reached out and suddenly Elena was there, a few feet away from her, looking horrified.

"Elena! Thank God!"

But Elena seemed hysterical. "No! Bonnie! Why would you do that?! I can't leave without him!"

"We'll find him!" Bonnie assured her.

"Wait? What's going on? Who are we missing? Where's Stefan?!"

"H-he's waiting for Damon." she stuttered, on the brink of tears. Caroline grew angry at Stefan. He was so selfless, it would destroy him. She wouldn't let it. But it wasn't Damon he was waiting for

Her train of thought was broken by Bonnie coughing violently, hunched over in pain.

Why was Stefan taking so long? She would make Bonnie grab him if necessary.

"Bonnie, are you okay?" Elena approached her, looking anxious.

Bonnie coughed harder, and blood started splattering her hands and she struggled to take in air. She was dying.

"Oh my God. Bonnie?"

Bonnie stumbled sideways, She knocked into someone, and suddenly Stefan appeared, looking shocked. He was holding Bonnie up. Relief overpowered her, buzzing through her veins. She yearned to touch him.

"Lexi said she would wait for him, I'm sorry." he said, guilt flitting over his features. Elena just nodded. Bonnie gave a small, knowing smirk, as though she knew something no-one else did. She had probably been eavesdropping on a conversation that was meant to be private. Caroline didn't care. Nothing mattered, not anymore, now that he was here. She ran human speed, half-sobbing at him, not quite knowing what was possessing her to do so. Stefan smiled and nodded .

"stefan" it was barely above a whisper but he heard it, the voice was unmistakeable.

he turned around and saw those unmistakeable deep brown eyes and feels her body crash against his

He lowers his lips on hers.

 _I'm home._

He's hungry, there's a hole in the pit of his stomach, and her lips are like warm, tasty, silky blood, right from the vein.

She puts her arms on his shoulders, stretch her palms out so her fingertips are pressing onto the back of his neck. She crashed her hips into his and his chest falls on hers. He takes her into his arms like he owns her, pulling her closer to him.

 _Stefan. I'm kissing Stefan._

 _And I never want to stop._

 _xx_

Caroline definetly hadn't seen this coming. She stood there, well aware she probably looked ridiculous gawking in shock at Stefan. This was clearly who he had been waiting for. They embraced tightly, before he kissed her lightly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Caroline didn't think she had ever seen Stefan look so happy. She doesn't remember a time when Stefan looked that happy. He'd never been that happy.

Actually Stefan _never_ looked happy. At least now within the past few months. The pair turned and stared at the others warily. Caroline and the others were just staring in shock. She felt as though she was about to faint.

Caroline looked disappointed as well as shocked. Elena looked stunned. Her eyebrows were raised slightly and her doe eyes had widened in what was _disappointment?_ Hurt?

she knew what had to be done.

xx

All of a sudden _Katherine_ stood there, a smug grin on her face, her curls whipping back in the wind.

Tom straightened, a the corner of his lips curving into a soft smile one Caroline had seen once before on Stefan This was clearly who he had been waiting for. Katherine smiled back and ran at him. They embraced tightly, before Tom kissed her lightly. Caroline didn't think she had ever seen Katherine look so happy. It was as if she had stepped into a parallel universe. The pair turned and stared at the others warily.

xx

 _end of chapter. tbc_


End file.
